German lawmakers on Thursday rejected a new call by the opposition for the government to send Taurus long-range cruise missiles to Ukraine, a day after Chancellor Olaf Scholz defended his refusal to supply the weapons.
The main center-right opposition bloc has sought to keep up pressure on the issue and exploit divisions in Scholz’s unpopular three-party coalition, even as the German leader tries to put a lid on the debate. On Wednesday, he told lawmakers that prudence is a virtue and rejected suggestions that he doesn’t trust Kyiv.
Parliament’s lower house, or Bundestag, re-jected the opposition Union bloc’s motion by 495 votes to 190, with five abstentions.
Germany has become the second-biggest sup-plier of military aid to Ukraine after the United States, but Scholz has stalled for months on Ukraine’s desire for Taurus missiles, which have a range of up to 500 kilometers (310 miles) and could in theory be used against targets far into Russian territory.
His position has frustrated the conservative opposition and parts of Scholz’s own coalition. The criticism didn’t diminish after Scholz finally offered a detailed explanation last month, pointing to his insistence that Germany must not become directly involved in the war.
Lawmakers last month urged the government to deliver further long-range weapons to Ukraine but voted down a previous opposition call explicitly urging it to send Taurus missiles.—AFP
